Electric program-clock.



No. 741,431. I PATBNTED OCT. 13, 1903-. E. T. AGKERMAN; ELECTRIC PROGRAM GEQEQK.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT 1515 1802.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1,.

PATENTED OCT. 13, 1903.

E. T. AGKERMAN. ELECT-RIG PROGRAM CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 11, 1902.

-2 sums-sum 2.

N0 MODEL.

NIIIIII JIZUIBILZUTP I UNITED STATES Patented October 13, 1903;.

PATENT QFFICE.

EDWIN T. AGKERMAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE HAIIF T6 THOMAS A. SMYTH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRIC PROGRAM-CLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 741,43 1, dated October 13, 1903. Application filed September 11, 1902. Serial No- 12Z,958. (1T0 model.)

T to whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN T. AOKERMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric-Alarm Systems, of

which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

My invention relates to that class of elec- IO tric alarm systems designed for sounding bells or giving signals automatically at predetermined periods; and ithas fo'r its primary object to provide improved means whereby such periods of signaling are capable of be- :5 ing changed within a very wide range of variation at will, so that the system will be adapted for universal application or use without regard to the particular time at which the signal is to be given.

\Vith these ends in view the invention consists in certain features of novelty in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts by which the said objects and certain other objects hereinafter appearing are attained, all as fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the said drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of the improved alarm sys- 0 tern. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the ring which moves With the hours-hand arbor of the clock or timepiece, showing the same in sections. Fig. 3 is a detail longitudinal sectional View thereof taken on the line 3 3, Fig.

4. Fig. lisa transverse sectional View thereof; and Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the ring which supports the contacts for the minutes-hand, showing the same in section.

For the purposes of illustration the inven- I tion is shown in a form especially designed for ringing the bells on the various floors or in the various rooms of a school building at the different periods usual in such cases-as,

for example, of convening school, the different periods, different classes or floors in the building take recess or adjourn, the study hours, the time for teachers to depart, &c.

In the example shown there are four bells designated in the drawings respectively as 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, supposedly on the first, second, third, and fourth floors, respectively, of a school building, and with the mechanism setin the condition shown all four of these ring simultaneously for the teachers to take their desks at 8.45 oclook and again at nine oclock for the schools or classes to convene, again at 9.30 and every half-hour thereafter for certain classes or other purposes customary in the management of schools. The first bell rings again at about two minutes before the 10.30-oclock recess for the smaller children to prepare to leave. All then ring at 10.30 oclock for the first-floor children to leave and for the second, third, and fourth floors to prepare for recess, and then the second, third, and fourth floor bells ring successively in theirnumerical order at short'intervals of a minute or so apart for these floors to vacate. This 10.300clock-recess signaling is repeated for the noon recess and again at 2.30 oclock for the recess usually taken at that hour, and still again-at 3.30 oclock for adjournment, while all four bells ring simultaneously at 12.30 oclock for the proper and orderly assembling of the various grades or floors and at four oclock for the teachers to leave the building, and, as will be hereinafter more fully explained, they all ring simultaneously every half-hour and also on some of the quarter and three-quarter hours.

1 is a diagrammatic illustration of a clockdial; 2, the minutes-hand connected electrically in any suitable way, as by conductor or arm 3, with a conducting-ring 4:, which moves in unison with the hours-arbor of the clock, and which carries with it a series of rotatable keys or plugs which are numbered in the drawing to correspond with the whole hours and their four quarters 1 oc, 1.15, 1.30, 1A5 2 oc, the. This ring 4 also carries a facing 5, of insulating material, on the outer periphery of which contiguous to each of the side keys or plugs is secured a contact-plate 6 and with one of which 5 plates each of the plugs is adapted to contact when so turned that a segregated side 7 of the plug will be remote from it. At such time the minutes-hand 2 is electrically connected with plate 0 through ring 4 and the too plug or key bearing against plate 6; but at no other time has plate 6 any connection with ring 4 nor with the minutes-hand.

The plates 6 constitute a ring with the spaces between it filled with insulating material 8, forming a sort of commutator-Wheel upon which bears a brush 9, supported on a fixed insulating-ring 10 and connected by conductor 11 with one pole of battery 12. At any suitable or desired interval in this ring 10 are located fixed contacts numbered from 13 to 31 and 16 inclusive. If desired, the ring 10 may be provided at short intervals apart throughout its extent with small sockets 13, whereby one of these contacts may be situated at any desired point in the circumference of the ring. In order to avoid confusion, however, the superfluous sockets 13 are omitted from the diagrammatic illustration, Fig. 1, in which example of the invention the contacts 16" and 13 to 31 are located in suitable groups for a school system on the four quarters of the clock-dial.

The contacts 13, 17, 23, and 26, which are located at the nine oclock, twelve oclock, three oclock, and six oclock positions, respectively on the dial, are all connected to conductor 32, which leads to two of four magnets 33 34 35 36, which, together with a pivoted armature-lever 37 and a blade 38, constitute a magnetic switch. The terminal 39 of magnet 33 is connected to the ingoing terminal 40 of magnet 34, and the outgoing terminal 41 of the latter is connected to fixed plate 42, which when lever 37 is in either a neutral position or thrown to the right is electrically connected to lever 37 by a cross-arin 43, carried by the lever, and the lever is connected by conductor 44 to the other terminal of battery 12. The contacts 14 18 24 27, which are located, respectively, at the nine oclock, twelve oclock, three oclock, and six oclock positions on the dial, are all connected to a circuit which leads to an insulated plate 46 of the switch just described, and which switch also comprises four insulated contact springs or plates 47, which are connected by conductors 47 to four wires or conductors 48, which lead to the four bells, respectively, and all of the bells are connected on the other side by a return-conductor 49 with the battery 12.

The blade 38 normally lies under the contact 46, and when current passes through magnets 33 and 34 the blade shifts also under the contacts 47 and connects 46 and 47 together, cross-arm 43 passing from contact 42 as it does so. Contacts 15, 19, 25, and 28, which are located at the nine-oclock, twelveoclock, three-oclock, and six-oclock positions, respectively, on the dial are connected to a conductor 50,which leads through switchmagnets 35 36 and via conductor 51 to a plate 52, arranged opposite plate 42 and so positioned that when armature-lever 37 is in either a neutral position or thrown to the left the cross-arm 43 will rest upon it (plate 52) and which thus places conductor 50 in communication with battery 12 via armature 37 and conductor 44. Contacts 16, 20, 21, and 22 at the twelve'oclock position 011 the dial and 16, 29, 30, and 31 at the six-oclock position are respectively connected with. four conductors 53, 54, 55, and 56, which respectively lead to their individual independent contact-springs 57, 58, 59, and 60, opposite but insulated from which are located a corresponding number of contact-springs 61 62 63 64, connected, respectively, to the first, second, third, and fourth bells by four wires 65,which connect, respectively,with the wires 48, leading to said bells.

The contacts 61 to 64 are capable of being connected, respectively, with their companion contacts 57 to 60 by four contact-plates 66 67 68 69, carried on an insulation extension 70 of a pivoted armature-lever 71, when the lever swings from right to left, thereby placing all four conductors 53 54 55 56 of the signal-circuits in communication with their bells, respectively, the conductors 48 constituting cont-inuations of the same side of said signal-circuits and the conductors 49 and 11 constituting the other side of said circuits.

The armature-lever 71 constitutes one member of a second magnetic switch and may be thrown from side to side by four magnets 72 73 74 75, as in the other switch, magnets 72 and 73 being connected in series with a fixed plate 76 and the magnets 74 75 in series with a similar plate 77, and upon these two plates bears a cross-arm 78 on the armature 71, touchiug both plates 76 77 when the armature is in a neutral position, as shown in the drawings, and only one of the plates when thrown to one side. Magnet 72 is connected by conductor79 with a brush 80, While magnet 74 is connected to a similar brush 81 by conductor 82. These two brushes 8082 project over the ring-facing 5, and they are adapted to be engaged by contact-pins 83 to 90, arranged in concentric circles and electrically connected to the ring 4 and projecting upwardly through the facing 5. These pins 83 to 90 are all made adjustable, so that the time of engagement may be varied. This is accomplished by securing the pins in curved slots 91 92 in ring 4 and in facing 5, the lower ends of the pins having beveled heads 93 and the upper ends countersunk nuts 94, resting on shoulder 95. The brush engages only the outer circle of pins 83 to 86 and the brush 81 only the inner circle 87 to as the hours-arbor rotates, the brushes 8O 81 being fixed to ring 10 or other insulating'support.

The minutes-hand 2 carries a brush 96, which is in line with and sweeps all the contacts 13 to 31 as well as any others that may be inserted in sockets 13 in ring 10, and thus establishes electrical communication between the contact which happens to be in engagement with brush 96 and the battery circuit or conductor 11 should one of the rotary plugs or keys be so turned as to engage its plate 6 while the latter is passing brush 9.

It will be understood that the number of the plugs or keys employed in the ring 4 is limited only by the size of the ring. in the example shown the number employed is equal to the number of quarter-hon rs on the dial or forty-eight, and consequently the circuit maybe closed through brush 9-, the plate 6 and ring 4 to the hand 2 at any time while plate 6 is passing brush 9 during any quarter-hour by simply turning anyone of the plugs until its round side engages the plate 6, the plugs being provided with screw-driver sockets 7 for the purpose.

The circuits will now be traced from the time of the ringing of the first bell at 8.45 oclock. At that time the 8.45 plug or key is at the top of the dial where 12 oc plug is now shown in contact with plate 6, which in turn contacts with brush 9. 'When now the brush 96 on the minutes-hand reaches the contact 13, the circuit closes through 96, 13, 32, 33, 39, 40, 34, 4,1, 42, 43,37,44,12,11, 9, 6, 8.45 oc, 4, 3, and 2 back to 96, thus throwing switch-armature 37 to the left and connecting plate 46 with plates 47. When brush 96 on the hand now reaches contact- 14, (exactly at 8.45 oclock,) plate 6 of 8.45 plug being still against brush 9, the circuit is closed through 96, 14, 45, 46, 47, 48 to all four bells, conductor 49 to battery 12 from 12 to 11 to 9, 6, 8.45, 4, 3, and 2, thus ringing all bells simultaneously. \Vhen brush 96 reaches contact 15, the motion of switcharmature 37 is reversed by current through 96, 15, 5o, 35, 3c, 51, 52, 43, 37, 44, 12, 11, 9, 6, 8.45, 4, 3, and 2. At nine oclocl; the 9 oc plug and its plate 6 will be opposite brush 9; but the brush 96 in passing contact 16 at this hour will not ring the first bell or in fact any of them because at that time switch 27 is open; but when brush 96 reaches contact 17 one of the switch-circuits of switch 37 will be closed through 96,17, 32, 33, 39, 34, 41, 42, 37, 44, 12, 11, 9, 6, 9 oc plug, ring 4, conductor 3, and hand 2, thus throwing switch 37 to the left and connecting 46 with 47, and it may be here stated that this operation will be repeated each time the brush 96 crosses any of the contacts 13, 17, 23, or 26, and the switch 37 will be restored to normal or neutral position, as before described, by current through the other switch-circuit 50 energizing magnets 35 36 every time brush 96 crossescontacts 16, 19, 25, or 27. When brush 96 now crosses contact 18, the circuit closes through 96, 18, 45, 46, 38, 47, 48 all four bells, conductor 49, 12, 11, 9, 6, '9 oc, 4, 3, and 2, ringing all bells simultaneously;

but when 96 crosses 20, 21, and at this hour the bells connected with these three contacts do not ring because they were out out of circuit by restoration of switch 37 when brush 96 touched contact 19, as before described. When minutes-hand 2 reaches 9.15 oclock, the 9.15 plug and its plate 6 will be against the brush 9, and the engagement of the contacts 23 2425 successively by brush 96 will repeat the described operation when it crossed contacts 13 14 15,1eaving the switch 37 in the neutral position; but when 9.30 do plug and its plate 6 arrive at brush 9,the hand 2 beingthen at the lower half of the dial, the transit of brush 96 across contacts 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, and 31 will repeat the operation performed at about nine oclo'ck. In short, each time the quarter-houror three-quarterhour plug derives current through its plate 6 from brush 9 the switch 37 will first be thrown to the left, then all the bells will be rung simultaneously, and finally the switch will be restored to its neutral position, and the same will occur each time either a whole-hour ora half-hour plug passes brush 9 and receives current; but should one of the pins 83 to 86 in the outer circle engage brush 80 just before brush 96 reaches contact 16 the circuit willbe closed through 83,80,79,72,73,76,78,7l, a conductor 44, which is a continuation of conductor 44, 12,11, 9, 6, 12 ocplug, and through ring 4 to 83, thereby throwing switcharmature 71 to the left and connecting contacts 61 to 64 with their respective companion contacts 57 to 60. Now should 96 cross 16 the current will pass through 96,16, 5.3, 57, 66, 61, 65, 48 to the first bell, then through 49, 12, 11, 9, 6, 12 oc plug, 4, 3, and 2. When brush 96 touches switch-contact 17,the switcharmature 37 will be thrown to the left, as before described, and all four bell-wires 48 thereby connected to contact 46, so that when brush 96 touches contact 18 all four bells will be rung simultaneously, as before described.

Nhen brush 96 touches contact 19,the switcharmature 37 will be restored to its normal or neutral position, as before explained, and hence switcharmature 71, remaining where thrown by magnets 72 73, the engagement of 96 with contact 20 will close the circuit through 96, 20, 54, 58, 67, 62, 65, 48, second bell to 49, 12, 11, 9, 6, 12 oc plug, ring 4, conductor 3, hand 2. hen brush 96 engages contact 21, the circuit will pass through 55, 59, 68, 63, 65, 48, third bell and return to 96 via the same route through battery 12, as just described for contact 29, and when brush 96 reaches contact 22 the current will pass through 56, 60, 69, 64, 65, 48, to the fourtn bell and return 01149 through the battery via the same route as described for contacts 20 and 21. Thus the first bell is rung, and a little later all are rung simultaneously, and still later the second, third, and fourth are rung separately at short intervals apart, and this operation will be repeated each time brush 96 passes the whole and halt-hour positions on the dial, providing one of the switchclosing pins 83 to 86 in the outer circle he so set as to engage brush 80 before brush 96 touches contact 16 or 16. In order, however, that the switch7l may be restored to normal position, breaking contact between 57 to 60 and 61 to 64 after the tour bells have been rung singly,

IOC

the pin 89 engages brush 81 after 96 passes contact 22, and thereby closes circuit through 89, 81, S2, 74, 75, 77, 78, 71, 44, 44,12,11, 96, 12.30 plug, and ring 4 back to 89. Then when brush 96 passes contacts 23 24 25 the switch 37 will first be thrown to the left, as before described, the four bells then rung simultaneously, and switch 37 finally restored should any one of the plugs or keys be against that one of the plates 6 which is passing brush Qat that time. Inasmuch as onethe one 86, for example-of the switch closing contactpins is arranged adjacent to the 2.30 plug, so as to engage brush 8O before-96 engages contact 16, the operation just described as occurring at noon will be repeated at 2.80 oclock and the same again at 3.30 oclock because of the switch-closing contact-pin 85, and it is understood that after any one of the switch-closing pins from 83 to 86 in the outer circle closes switch 71 by engaging brush there must be another pin in the switch-restoring circle of pins 87 to contiguous to the other brush, 81, so as to engage the latter at the proper time and again restore switch 71 to a neutral position, as before described, before brush 96 reaches the next group of contacts in ring 10.

The contacts 14, 18, 24, and 27 being for the purpose of ringing all of the bells simultaneously, all of the bell-wires being united to each of these contacts, they may be conveniently termed union contacts. The contacts 13,17, 23, and 27 being for the purpose of closing the switch 37,and thereby connecting all of the bells to the union contacts, they may be termed union-switch-closing contacts, and the switch 37 may be termed a union switch. The contacts 15, 19, 25, and 28 being for the purpose of restoring union switch 37 to normal position may be termed unionswitch opening contacts. Contacts 16, 20,21, 22, 16, 29, 30, and 31 be ing for the purpose of ringing the four bells individually or separately may be termed individual signal-contacts, and the various circuits which connect with these various contacts, respectively, may be correspondingly designated.

The switch 71 may be designated as the individual switch, because it makes and breaks the circuits of the individual signals separately, and the contact-pins 83 to 86 in the outer circle maybe designated as the individual switch closing contacts or pins, while the pins 87 to 90 in the inner circle may be designated as the individual-switchopening contacts.

While I have been particular to describe the minute details of construction in order that the operation of the various circuits might be clearly understood and have referred to the devices designated as 1st, 2d, 3rd, 4th, as bells or signals, it willnevertheless be understood that my invention is not limited to such details and that instead of the said bells any other signals, or, in fact, any electrical translating devices, might be substituted therefor should it be desirable to energize or operate the same at stated periods automatically.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an electric system for the purpose described, the combination of a timepiece having two differently-timed members, a series of plugs or keys operatively connected to and moving with one of said members and a brush in circuit with said plugs and moving with the other, a number of contact-plates corresponding to said plugs and moving therewith and with which plates said plugs are respectively adapted to be electrically connected and disconnected at will, a second brush engaging said plates, a fixed contact arranged in the path of said first brush, an electric translating device and an electric circuit including said series of plugs, brushes, contact and translating device, substantially as set forth.

2. In an electric system for the purpose described, the combination of a timepiece having two differently-timed members, a series of keys or plugs operatively connected to and moving with one of said members and a brush in circuit with said plugs and moving with the other of said members, a number of contact-plates corresponding to said plugs and moving therewith and with which plates said plugs are respectively adapted to be connected and disconnected at will, a second brush engaging said plates, at signal-contact fixed in the path of said first brush, a signal, a signal-circuit including said plugs, brushes, signahcontact and signal, a magnetic switch included in said circuit for making and breaking the same, a switch-circuit for operating said switch and a switch-closin contact arranged on one side of said signal-contact and included in said switclrcircuit and adapted to be engaged by said first brush, substantially as set forth.

3. In an electric system for the purpose described, the combination of a timepiece having two differently-timed members, a series of keys or plugs operatively connected to and moving with one of said members and a brush in circuit with said plugs and moving with the other of said members, a number of contact-plates corresponding to said plugs and moving therewith and with which plates said plugs are respectively adapted to be electrically connected and disconnected at will, a second brush engaging said plates, a signalcontact fixed in the path of said first brush, a signal, a signal-circuit including said plugs, brushes, signal-contact and signal, a magnetic switch for making and breaking said signal-circuit, a switch-circuit for operating IIO said switch, a switch-closing contact arranged on one side of said signal-contact and included in said switch-circuit and adapted to be engaged by said first brush, a switch-opening contact arranged on the other side of said signal-contactin line with firstbrush,a switchopening circuitincluding said switch-opening contact and switch-opening mechanism included in said switch-opening circuit, substantially as set forth.

4. In an electric system for the purpose described, the combination of a plurality of signals, a corresponding number of signalcontacts, a plurality of circuits each including one of said contacts and signals, a magnetic switch adapted to make and'break all of said circuits, a timepiece having differently-timed members, a brush moving with one of said members and adapted to engage said signalcontacts, a series of keys or plugs moving with the other of said members and electrically connected with said brush, a switchclosing pin or contact moving with said keys, a switch-circuit including said switch and means for closing said switch-circuit through said pin and one of said keys when the pin arrives at a predetermined point, substantially as set forth.

5. In an electric system for the purpose described, the combination of a plurality of signals, a corresponding number of signalcontacts, a plurality of signal-circuits each including one of said contacts and signals, a magnetic switch for making and breaking all of said circuits, a union contact, a union circuit including all of said signals and union contact, a union switch for making and breaking said union circuit, a timepiece having differently-timed members, means for electrically connecting one of said members with all of said contacts, aseries of keys or plugs moving with the other of said members and electrically connected therewith, a switchclosing pin moving with said keys, a switchclosing circuit including said first switch, means for closing said switch-closing circuit through said pin and one of said keys when the pin arrives at a predetermined point, and means for actuating said union switch when one of said moving members of the timepiece engages said union contact, substantially as set forth.

6. In an electric system for the purpose described, the combination of a plurality of signals, a corresponding number of signalcontacts, a timepiece comprising a moving member for engaging said contacts, a plurality of individual signal-circuits each including one of said signals and contacts, an individual magnetic switch for making and breaking all of said circuits individually, a union signal-contact, a union signal-circuit connected to all of said signals and to said union signal-contact, a union switch for making and breaking said union signal-circuit, a

union-switch-closing contact and a unionswitch-opening contact arranged one at each side of said union signal-contact and between said signal-contacts, means for actuating said union switch, a union-sWitch-closing circuit including said means and said union-switchclosing contact, and a union-switchopening circuit including said means and said unionswitch-opening contact, substantially as set forth.

7. In an electric system for-the purpose described, the combination with two difierentlytimed members of a timepiece, of a plurality of signals, corresponding number of signalcontacts, a plurality of individual signal-circuits each including one of said signals and contacts, an individual magnetic switch for making and breaking all of said circuits individually, a union signal-contact, a union signal-circuit connected to all of said signals and to said union signal-contact, a union switch for making and breaking said union signal-circuit, a union-switch-closing contact and a union-switch-opening contact arranged one at each side of said union signal-contact and between said signal-contacts, means for actuating said union switch, a union-switchclosing circuit including said means and said union-switch-closing contact, a u nion-switchopening circuit including said means and said unionswitch-opening contact, means for restoring said individual switch to normal, and an individual-switch-restoring circuit ineluding said restoring means and means moving with the said second memberof the timepiece for closing said individual-switch-restoring circuit after the first said member of the timepiece passes said contact, substantially as set forth.

8. In an electric system for the purpose described, the combination of a circular rotary series of flat-sided keys or plugs, a circular series of contact-plates arranged one opposite each of said plugs and movable therewith but electrically disconnected from each other and from said keys excepting when the flat sides of the keys are turned away from the plates, a timepiece having two differently timed members with one of which said keys move, a fixed contact adapted to engage with the other of said members, a stationary contact bearing normally against said plates and a circuit including said contacts, substantially as set forth.

9. In an electric system for the purpose described, the combination of a circular rotary series of keys or plugs, a stationary contact, means whereby said stationary contact may be electrically connected with any of said keys,a timepiece having two diliEerently-timed members electrically connected and with one of which said keys move and are electrically connected, a stationary contact with which the other of said members engages, a switch, a switch-closing pin movable with said keys,

and adapted to engage said switch-opening pin, substantially as set forth.

EDWIN T. AOKERMAN.

Witnesses:

F. A. HOPKINS, ADDIE LATHROP. 

